Reversing-gear



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

G. S; KING. REVERSING GEAR Patented Jan. 12

(No Model.)

' 3 sheetssheet 2. G. s. KING. REVERSING GEAR.

Patnted Jan. 12., 1886.-

N. Pneus. Pham-umasmynen wasmnwn o. c.

(No Model.) a'sheeus-sneeta G. s. KING. v

R'EVBRSING GEAR.-

i No. 334,238. Patented Jan. 12, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT rErcE.

GEORGE S. KING, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

REVERSING-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,238, dated January12I 1886.

Application filed May 15, 1885. Serial No. 165,597. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. KING, of Pittsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Reversing Engines 5 and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

It is well known that in order to operate the reversing-levers ofsteam-engines, especially those of the class used on steam-vessels andlocomotives, a considerable degree of force has to be expended.

It is the object of my invention to better this by providing for theoperation of this lever and analogous mechanism by an auxiliary engineconstructed and connected with its driven parts in a novel and peculiarmanner.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification,Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my improved mechanism. Fig. 2 is asimilar view of the same when occupying a different position. Fig. 3 isa vertical crosslsection on the line .r .r of Fig. 1. Figs. 4, 5, and 6are perspective views of parts. Fig. 7 is a plan view. Fig. 8 is asection on the line x 1r of Fig. 1.

Like letters of referenceindicatelike parts.

In the drawings, 2 represents the rotary shaft which operates the linkscommonly used in reversingthe valves-of steam-engines. This shaft isconnected with a reversing-lever, 3, by intermediateconnecting-levers,5and 6. A hand-lever, l0, of the usual type is pivoted preferably at thesame point 4 with the lever 3, and is provided with a triggerlatch, 7,working on a notched quadrant, 9, in the ordinary manner.

My invention consists, chiefly, in the combination of thereversing-lever 3 with a motorengine, such as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2.Thus 11 represents a steam-cylinder which is independent of thedriving-cylinders of the engines, and receives its steam from a pipeleading from the boiler into asteam-chest, 12, mounted on the cylinderin the usual way, and communicating therewith through ports 14 and 15.The sliding valve 16, which is within the steam-chest 12, has the usualport, 17, for connecting a discharge-port, 13, with either ofthepassages 14 or 15 desired. The

cylinder 11 has a piston, 17, and piston-rod 18, connected therewith andextending outside of the cylinder, where it is connected with a slidingbar, 19. When the parts of the steamchest and cylinder are in therelative positions shown in Fig. 2,the admission of steam into thesteam-chest 12 would drive the piston-rod 18 forward in a manner whichwill be readily understood. Vhen, however, they are in the positionshown in Fig. 1, with the valve in the middle of its seat steam will becut off from the cylinder and the piston held at rest.

The bar 19 is shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4. It is slottedlongitudinally and vertically for the reception of aslidingplate,hereinafter to be described, and is itself mounted within a frame,20, which permits a free longitudinal motion to the bar as the pistonmoves backward and forward in the cylinder. The bar 19 is furtherconnected with the reversing-lever Sby a connecting-rod, 21, which ispivoted to each of these parts. Motion of the piston will thereforecorrespondingly move the lever 3, and will turn the shaft 2 by means ofits interme diate mechanism. A plate, 22, which is vertically mountedwithin the slot of the bar 19, is held therein by pins 23, which passthrough the bar and through slots 24, made through the plate 22, andslightly inclined upward from a horizontal plane. The slot in the bar 19is made so much longer than the plate 22 as to allow the latter tobemoved longitudinally through the length of the slots 24. If the vplate22 be moved forward from the position shown in Fig. 1, the action of thefixed pins 23 upon the sides of the slots 24 will be to depress theplate within in its slot into the position shown in Fig. 2. The upperpart of plate 22 is provided with a longitudinal slot, 25, whose lengthis equal to that of the stroke of the piston 17, plus the length of oneof the slots 24. A bell-crank lever, 2G, is pivoted within cheeks 27 onthe upper face ofthe frame 20, and the end of one of its arms has ablock or roller, 28, which fits within the slot 25, while the other endof the lever is pivoted to the valve-rod 29 of the steam-chest. Asbefore explained, a forward movement of the sliding plate 22 willdepress it, and will also depress IOO chest.

the end 28 of the lever 26, so as to move the valve 16 forward. Thelength of the slots 24 and of the lever are so regulated that a movementof the plate so as to bring the pins 23 from one end of the slots to theother will j ust reverse the direction of the steam, and that when thepins are in the middle Vof their slots the valve will be in the middleof its seat, cutting off both ports 14 and 15 from the steam- The plate22 is connected with the hand-lever 10 by a rod, 30.

Suppose, now, the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. l, and it isdesired to turn the shaft 2, so as to reverse the engine, the engineerseizes the hand-lever 10, and, having disengaged the trigger-latch 7from its notch in the quadrant 9, pulls the lever forward for a shortdistance, as shown in Fig." 2. The ef-v feet of this is to admit steambehind the piston 17, which will move the piston, the bar 19, and thereversing-lever 3 toward the lever 10.

It will be observed that the lever 10 cannot be moved from the positionof Fig. 1 more than onehalf the length of the slots 24, because then theends of these slots engage their pins 23, and any further strain uponthe lever Will be exerted upon the bar 19, and upon its reversing-lever,3. If, therefore, the lever 10 be pulled continuously, so as to keep thepins 23 at the end of their slots, the valve 16 will be kept open andthe piston and reversinglever continuously moved in the same directionwith the hand-lever and following it. I call this a positive motion,because it is regular and continuous with the movement of thehand-lever, and because if the steam in the cylinder be not enough tomove the piston the engineers force put on the hand-lever will aid inmoving the reversing-lever, and if the steam 'be for any reason cut offaltogether the lever 3 may be moved by the hand-lever alone.

This feature of my invention is important, because it serves as a meansto prevent danger, which has hitherto existedin the use of auxiliaryreversing-engines. In some cases it has occurred that the steam has, forsome reason, been stopped from entering the steamchest of the auxiliaryreversingengine, and on the engineer moving his hand-lever to reversethe engine fthe hand-lever moved as usual, but the reversing-leverremained stationary. Unless the engineer was in sight of his engine, hewould Vhave no means of detecting such occurrence, and where thereversing-engine is used in connection with inclined railways or withthe steering apparatus of steamboats serious results might ensue. Thiscould not happen with the use of my improvement, where the hand-lever isconnected with the piston-bar,as well as with the reversing-valve,because if the steam be cut off from the latter the strain on thehand-lever will be exerted upon the reversing-lever, and the engineer vwill have an opportunity either to stop the engine or to applysufficient force to the handl lever to reverse it. The purpose of theslots 24 and pins 23 is therefore twofold; first, to impart such amotion to the plate 22 when it is moved lengthwise as to operate thevalve; and, second, to cause the plate to be connected with thepiston-bar when the former has been moved far enough to open the valvein either direction. Equivalent devices-such as a plate mounted in aninclined slot and provided with a stop or stops at the ends of theslotsmay be employed instead of the plate 22 and slots 24, and I desireto cover such by the claims of this specification. As soon as thehand-lever 1() is stopped and held so, it also checks the forward motionof the plate 22. Then as the bar 19 moves forward with the piston 17 byexpansion ofthe steam, the action of the pins 23 upon the slots 24 is toraise the plate, and through the bell-crank 26 to move the valve 16backward. As soon, however, as this valve reaches the middle of itsseat, as shown in Fig. 1, which will be when lever 3 travels Onehalf thelength of slot 24, the steam will be cut off and the piston andreversing-lever will be stopped immediately.

The upper end or head of the lever 3 has a notch, 31, adapted to fit thetrigger-latch 7, and to be engaged therewith while the latch is in anyof the notches in the quadrant 9 t'. e., a partial movement ofthe-trigger will detach it from the reversing-lever, and a still furthermovement will detach it from the quadrant also. The notch 31 is solplaced on the head of the lever 3 that when the parts are in theposition just described-i1 e., with the valve 16 in the middle of itsseatthe notch will be in exact opposition to the latch of the trigger 7.If, then, the lever 10 be moved to one of the notches of thequadrant,the latch will engage both of the latter and thereversing-lever. The advantage of this arrangement is that if theengineer should drop the reversing-lever 10 by accident andits frictionwith any other part should move it onward,as soon as it reaches a notchon the quadrant it will be stopped by the latch 7, and as the lever 3reaches it the latter willalso be caught by the latch and held.

The purpose of the connection of the lever 10 with the plate 22 isimportant. If it were not for this, the reversinglever,when started,would move with violence to the end of its stroke, and practicallywithout control of the engineer; but, as described, the constructionenables the reversing-shaft to be stopped at any desired position by asimple checking of the hand-lever, the interval of time and distancebeing almost inappreciable. The reversing-lever cannot pass thehand-lever without cutting off the steam from the cylinder and stoppingitself. The action of the lever 10 by the engineer is thereforesimilarto the action of the reversing hand-lever now in use, because itis positive and immediate, but differs therefrom to a great degree inthe amount of exertion required.

In my improvement the only machinery to be moved by the engineer is thehandlever, on

ICO

IIO

which there is but little friction, while .in the other case not onlythe lever but the reversingshaft and links have all to be worked and agreat and useless expenditure of energy required.

It has been observed that the length of the slot 25 is equal to thestroke of the piston, plus the longitudinal stroke of the plate 22 inits slot in the bar 19. The purpose of this is that the plate may bemoved with the levers 3 and 10 from one end of the quadrant to the otherwithout interfering with vthe end 28 of the lever 26. The stroke of thepiston is about equal to the chord of the quadrant 9.

The reverse movement of the shaft 2 from that last described isaccomplished in a like manner by a backward movement of the lever 10.Thus, starting from the end of the quadrant 9, (marked (1,) a back moveof the hand-lever will raise the plate 22, and admitting steam in frontof the piston 17 will throw the reversing-lever 3 toward the cylinder.

ln order to regulate the limits of motion of the shaft 2, it may beprovided with a projecting arm, 32, and stops 38, which engage this armat its forward and backward limits of movement respectively. Thisarrangement prevents any unnecessary jarring of the parts of themechanism.

It will be noticed that if my improvement be connected with otherapparatus besides the reversing mechanism ci' steam engine it will workin the same manner. Thus it will be useful in the controlling of cranesand elevators, and in steering vessels, 0r in the management of anyother machine requiring a certain positive motion which should becapable of being stopped, started, and reversed suddenly and easily, andwhose limits should be accurately regulable by the engineer.

The application of my improvement to these and analogous usesis obvious,and needs no further explanation.

Instead of the use of steam to operate the piston in the cylinder 1 1,compressed air, water, gas, or any other suitable motor may be used.

I d0 not desire to limit myself to the specitic form of the parts hereindescribed and shown; but

Vhat l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination, in a steam-engine, of a reversing-lever, a pistonconnected therewith and capable of moving the same, a valve foradmitting steam to the piston and for cutting it off, and a hand-leverfor moving the valve, said hand-lever being connected both with thevalve and with the reversing lever or piston, whereby movement thereofwill not only move the valve, but will exert a strain on thereversing-lever, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination of a reversing-lever, a piston connected therewithand capable of actuating the same, a valve for admitting steam to thepiston and for cutting off the same, a piston-bar, and a plate movablymounted thereon connected with said valve, and capable of moving so asto operate the same when the plate and piston-bar are moved relativelyto one another, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination of a reversing-lever, a piston connected therewithand capable of actuating the same, a valve for admitting steam to thepiston and for cutting it off, a piston-bar, and a plate mounted thereonand provided with means for imparting a vertical motion to the platewhen a longitudinal motion relative to the bar is given thereto, saidplate being connected with the valve and capable of operating the sameby its vertical movements, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

4. The combination of a reversing-lever, a piston connected therewithand capable of actuating the same, a valve for admitting' steam to thepiston and for cutting it oft', a piston-bar, a plate mounted thereonand provided with means for imparting a vertical motion to the platewhen a longitudinalmotion relative to the bar is given thereto, saidplate being connected with the valve and capable of operating the sameby the vertical movements of the former, and a hand-lever conneeted withsaid plate for moving it longitudinally, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

5. The combination of a reversing-lever, a piston connected therewithand capable of actuating the same, a valve for admitting steam to thepiston and for cutting oft' the same, a piston-bar, a plate mountedthereon and provided with means for imparting a vertical motion to theplate when a longitudinal motion relativeto the bar is given thereto,said plate being connected with the piston and capable of operating thesame by the vertical movements of the former, and a hand-lever connectedwith said plate for moving itlongltudinally, said plate being providedwith a stop consisting either of the end of a slot acting on a pin, orother suitable stop for causing a strain upon the plate to be eX- ertedon the piston-bar after the former has been moved far enough to opensaid valve, substantiall y as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day ofApril,A. D. 1885.

GEORGE S. KING.

Witnesses:

F. W. BAKEWELL, Jol-1N S. KENNEDY.

IIO

